Criminal Minds: Broken or Evil?
by Ella-Olivia
Summary: Jack Hotchner and Henry LaMontagne followed in their parents footsteps and now are, together with their team, the new profiler elite. Read about their adventures!
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Criminal Minds, CSI:NY, Without a Trace, Private Practice or Fringe. **

**I had this idea of Jack and Henry being members of a new BAU team. But I needed more characters for the junior team so I took the children of the characters from other TV shows. Only one team member is invented.**

**I hope you like the idea and the story!**

**Criminal Minds: Next generation**

SSA Jack Hotchner: 34 years old, black hair, brown eyes, tall  
determined, strong-willed, responsible, secretive, born leader, loves justice, solitary, protective, assertive, committed, loyal, diplomatic

SSA Ella Dunham, 34 years old, dark-brown and straight hair  
calm, mysterious, retiring, secretive, self-controlled, contemplative, strong-willed, distant, distrustful, quick at repartee, not a big talker

SSA Dr. Henry LaMontagne: 31 years old, blonde hair, blue eyes, tall, slim  
highly intelligent, sensitive, compassionate, sympathetic, tolerant, interested, curious, dreamily, affectionate, reliable, calm

SSA Lucy Monroe, 30 years old, red and curly hair, brown eyes  
self-confident, sociable, vivid, fun-loving, funny, spirited, temperamentally, reckless, independent, communicative, emotional, sweeping

SSA Finn Spade, 32 years old, brown hair, blue eyes, muscular  
vivacious, passionate, short-tempered, fiery, stubborn, willful, opinionated, spontaneous, adventurous, womanizer, has a problem with authorities

SSA Dr. Lucas "Luke" Wilder, 31 years old, brown hair, brown eyes  
dedicated, selfless, serene, pacific, friendly, charming, uncomplicated, designed with the needs of people in mind, seems easy-going but often has dark thoughts

Technical Analyst Emerson "Emmy" Autumn, 33 years old, small, slim, blonde, curly hair  
bubbly, strange, cheerful, effusive, creative, energetic, optimistic, computer freak, humorous, open

_Prologue_

_It was a dark night, not even the moon could change that. A rarely visible shape sneaked through the dark back yard of a big house. An elbow broke the glass window in the backdoor and a hand opened the door by grabbing through the hole in the glass. The shape disappeared into the house without a noise. A few minutes later the backdoor opened again and the shape left the house. But now he had something with him. A little girl. It had duct tape over his mouth and as hard as it tried it couldn't scream for help. Big tears rolled down his little face. The big shape wiped them away and threw the sobbing girl over his shoulder. Then he disappeared with her into the woods behind the garden. No one saw them. No one noticed anything. _

In the BAU

A dark-haired man in his mid-thirties with a serious and secretive facial expression entered the BAU. He looked like the typical FBI Agent, wearing a suit and sunglasses and walking with determined pace towards his office. His impressive and self-confident posture showed obviously that he was a man who was used to others obeying him without hesitating.

Barely behind him walked a tall, very slim and a little bit younger man with long blonde hair that was stroked behind his ears and bright blue eyes. He smiled friendly. He was very casually dressed and seemed more like a student than like an FBI agent, wearing jeans, chucks, a T-shirt with a red plaid open chemise over it and a colorful scarf around the neck.

The blonde man was Henry LaMontagne, the highly intelligent but nevertheless social competent Doctor in psychology of the BAU. The other man was Jack Hotchner, the strong-willed and born leader of the profiler team.

Henry said teasingly: "Hey Jack, did you know that running around like that not only scares your employees but also is bad for your back?"

Jack Hotchner answered sullenly: "Really? And where did you read that again, smarty-pants?"

Henry grinned. "Nowhere. I made that up. But I'm sure it's true."

Jack didn't find that funny. "Oh, shut up." But then he pricked up his ears: "But what did you say?" Jack turned around with a mixture of curiosity and temper. "My employees aren't scared of me!"

Henry laughed. "Of course they are. You are quite scaring!"

"Don't talk rubbish!", Jack disagreed.

In this moment a young female secretary came towards the two men with a file in her hands. "Sir, this is the Jameson-file you wanted to have.", she addressed Jack.

Jack looked at her annoyed. "Why did this take so long? I needed the file yesterday!"

The young woman shrunk back anxiously. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sir…"

Jack grabbed the file impatiently. "It's okay, give it to me! I have work to do!"

The young woman didn't dare to look at Jack again and just hurried away.

Henry looked compassionately after the poor woman. "See what I meant?", he asked Jack.

Jack looked musingly at him. "Oh, well, seemingly you're right… But maybe it's not that bad. After all they do what I say!"

"You appreciate that?", Henry shook disapprovingly his head. "You should try to be friendlier! Statistics have proved that people perform better services when they have a relaxed work environment and a praising leader!"

"Do you want to criticize me?", Jack asked warningly. "Try and be a better BAU chief!"

"See, Jack, you can immediately begin to train to be friendly!", Henry shouted, pretending to be extremely scared. "It's not that difficult. Just stop gazing at me with this dark and dangerous expression!"

Jack couldn't hide a small grin.

Henry laughed. "Yeah, that's good! But if you want it to function you have to smile brighter!"

Jack rolled the eyes. "Stop annoying me, Henry! I really wish you were scared of me, too!"

Henry grinned. "Sorry, but I know you too good to be afraid of you!"

Jack frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Remember when we were kids and went to the zoo, yes?", Henry told Jack. "You fell in a gigantic mud puddle and afterwards looked like a mud monster. Since that day I couldn't be afraid of you anymore. It was way too funny!", he explained while laughing.

Jack looked at him incredulously. "Such a rubbish! You made that up, didn't you? I _never _fell in a puddle!"

Henry laughed even harder. "I know I'm a big story teller but that's true, I swear! I remember it like it was yesterday!"

Jack shot him a black look. "You know what? I remember that day when you…"

But Jack was interrupted by one of his team members. Lucas Wilder, a young man with short brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, stood in front of his little office and looked down into the open-plan office. Luke was a selfless pacifist who was always liked by everyone. But because of his uncomplicated manner many people often overlooked his profound inner life. The Media Liaison of the BAU team announced: "Hey guys, we have a new case! Everybody in the conference room in five!"

Henry groaned. "Damn it, Wilder! I hoped for a calm and peaceful Friday!", he complained.

Luke smiled apologetically. "Sorry, LaMontagne, the evil never sleeps, not even Fridays!" He shortly waved at Jack and Henry, then turned around and walked to the conference room.

Jack glared a last time at his mischievously grinning best friend Henry before walking up to his own office.

Henry paced towards his desk while the rest of the team, minus Emmy, their computer freak, already sat in their chairs, talking.

Finn Spade, the dark-brown-haired adventurous hothead of the team, was once again deeply immersed in an argument with the red-haired vivacious kick-ass woman Lucy Monroe. Henry was convinced that they actually loved each other unconditionally although they rarely showed it. But as a skilled profiler he knew things like that. Finn didn't make a secret of the fact that he would love nothing better than to sleep with Lucy and she had fun spurning him all the time.

"Stop talking rubbish! There isn't such a silly thing like true love!", Finn shouted scornfully.

Lucy disagreed forcefully. "Yeah, I'm sure that for _you_ there isn't anything like this. But not everybody sleeps with another woman every night!"

Finn grinned and feigned to slap himself. "Ouch! Why do you think of me being so unfeeling? That really hurts me!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Really? I don't care! I'm sure the only woman that constantly takes part of your life is your mother!"

"Maybe I just haven't found the right one until now?", Finn said exaggeratedly theatrical.

"Oh, of course, Spade. You don't even know the names of your dates! So don't tell me you search for anything but sex!", Lucy retorted angrily.

Ella Dunham sat annoyed at her desk. The dark-haired beauty often seemed unemotional and cold-hearted and really wasn't a big talker but the others worked for long enough with her to know that this was just a façade. Her past was mysterious to everyone but all that matters was that she was a skilled and committed agent and a friend you could always rely on.

Henry shook his head amusedly at his two arguing team mates and went into the kitchen to get a coffee. Henry pushed the button of the coffee machine. But nothing happened. "This stupid thing!", he cursed.

Ella had followed him to escape the constant arguments between Lucy and Finn and said tauntingly: "LaMontagne, you are just so incapable as for all kinds of technology!"

She pushed the button by herself. Still nothing happened. Henry looked at her triumphantly. Ella frowned. "Didn't I tell you before? It's broken!"

Henry laughed out loud. "Of course!"

Ella grinned devilishly. "We have to go to the meeting now."

"Oh no!", Henry whined. "How am I supposed to survive the morning without coffee?"

"Well, I guess you have to suffer!", Ella said gleefully.

The two left the kitchen and made their way up to the conference room. Immediately they could hear the two squabblers in front of them.

"What is the good of a relationship when it breaks anyway sooner or later?", Finn pointed out.

"You're such gloomster! What is the good of life when you can't share it with someone you truly love?", Lucy responded.

"I'm not a gloomster, Monroe, I'm a realist. Nothing is forever despite your love for yourself!", Finn grinned.

"And an egoist you're as well!", Lucy announced.

But Finn continued unaffected. "Moreover I have my work. Yes, the work and the team are my true love!" He smiled lovingly. "And you are my favorite agent!"

Lucy glared at him sullenly. "Shut up, Spade! Stop flirting with me, we are partners, remember?" Finn just grinned at her provocatively.

They entered together with Ella and Henry the conference room. Luke had already turned on the screen on which now, as always, horrible photos of dead bodies showed up.

Everybody sat down and Luke handed out the case files. Then he pointed towards the big monitor with his remote and began. "Guys, it's a particularly bad case. We have three victims, three dead little girls. The first victim, nine-year-old Nathalie Jackson, was kidnapped 16 days ago and was found in the deep woods by a hunter the next morning. She was abused and suffocated. The second victim, seven-year-old Alexis Keelen, disappeared one week ago and was found a few days later in the same condition and also in the woods by two wanderers. The newest victim, ten-year-old Claire Grayson, was found yesterday the same way but was already dead for four days."

"So we have only a few days for catching him before strikes again.", Jack noticed.

"Special was the way the victims were found.", Luke informed them. Everybody looked at the terrible photos.

"He hung them at trees?", Ella asked incredulously.

"Yes, the UnSub put slings around their necks and hung them up in high trees. But by the time they were hung they were already dead.", Luke explained.

"But they were suffocated.", Finn declared.

"Yes.", Luke answered. "Most likely with a pillow or something like that."

Lucy pointed out: "But look at the way the UnSub arranged his victims. They are clean and neatly dressed. He took time to prepare them. That forms a big contrast to hanging them since this is a dismissive way to leave a dead body behind."

"Yeah, she's right.", Henry agreed. "He suffocates and abuses them. That's very intimate and personal. He shows care with preparing them. But hanging them up? That's the way criminals were killed in the past and shows abhorrence and compromising."

"He seems to like little girls and surely has previous convictions because of that but there has to be still more. Something like a trigger because of that he became a serial killer.", Ella notified.

Jack ordered: "Luke, call Emmy and tell her to search for correlations between the victims and everything about them that could be interesting."

"Will do, Boss!", Luke obeyed.

"Where do we go?", Finn wanted to know.

"To a small town in the country in Texas."

"All right, then we meet at the airplane in twenty minutes!", Jack announced.

**What do you think? Please review!**

**Oh, and very important: I made the serial killer and the team's profile completely up, I have no idea if it's psychologically correct.**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, here is the next chapter. I do not own any of the main characters.**

Criminal Minds: Broken or Evil?

Chapter 2

He who desires the light has to go in the dark.  
He who increases the harm lets the salvation embark.  
Where the sense is lost there starts ruling the sense.  
Where the footpath ends is the path's incipience.  
_Unknown author_

Everybody sat in the flying airplane, thinking about the case or reading the case file.

"We definitely have to call a press conference. It's a small town, everybody knows everybody, the people can't believe something like this happens in their peaceful hometown. We have to avoid a panic.", Luke explained.

Jack nodded. "The UnSub seems to know the area and especially the woods very well. He hid the victims at secluded places where almost only hunters go to. They were even far apart from footpaths. He has to be a native."

"So our UnSub is a native hunter?", Lucy asked.

"Hunter…", Henry mumbled.

"Do you want to tell us something?", Finn wanted to know impatiently.

"Yes, that's it!", Henry exclaimed. "I thought about the hanging, it was so unusual. But what if the UnSub didn't want to express his contempt for the victims? What if he did exactly what is to expect by a murderer like him? Some predators, for example leopards, carry their preys on trees to avoid that other animals eat it or take it away. The UnSub wanted to make sure that his victims were difficult to find: deep in the woods, hid between the leaves of the trees. Moreover if he for example had buried them they would have gotten dirty. But in the air and in the trees they are relatively safe."

"Oh, our genius had a brainwave!", Finn teased provocatively.

Henry fend him off. "I'm not a genius. I'm just more intelligent than people like you."

"You have to admit that's not very difficult.", Lucy laughed.

"Well, screw you, guys!", Finn retorted angrily.

"Calm down, Spade! Instantly!", Jack demanded annoyed. Such a firebrand! Jack knew Finn was a good guy, he just wasn't able to control his temper.

"That sounds very obsessive.", Ella ignored the little fight and noticed: "It seems like the killer is obsessively clean. Furthermore his attraction towards little girls… He is absolutely noticeable, surely someone of the people in the town recognizes his behavior. In towns like this one nothing happens without being noticed."

"When the killer hides his victims so elaborate… what if there are more corpses? Somewhere in the woods?", Finn suggested.

"Possible, since his sexual like surely isn't new for him and he surely had it already before the trigging incident.", Jack answered. "But remember, it's a small town. We would know if there were more missing girls."

"But I'm sure these girls weren't his first victims. He is way too organized. If it's true what LaMontagne said he first had to develop his special modus operandi.", Finn responded convinced.

Luke flipped open his notebook and their bubbly technical analyst Emmy appeared on the monitor. "Hey guys, how are you?", the blonde greeted them cheerfully. Emmy was a very small and very slim person but nevertheless one should never underestimate her: she was really clever and knew exactly how to get what she wanted. Moreover it was surprising how there could be so much energy in such a little body!

"Hey Emmy, did you find anything?", Luke wanted to know from her, smiling slightly at her like always good mood.

"No, sorry, I have to deceive you. There is nothing unusual neither about the little girls nor about their families. But it's scaring, in this town everybody is connected with everybody somehow. There are so many intrigues! The one's daughter is married to the other's son. Their fathers were arrested because they had a fight. One father's neighbor stole him a garden chair whereupon the neighbor's dog died. Poisoned. Another time said neighbor and another man had a car crash because they drove drunk. The man with the poisoned dog has a daughter who was arrested because of having stolen alcohol. But fortunately he is a car dealer. Soon the sheriff had a brand new car and the daughter escaped punishment. And so on and on. Terrible." Emmy shook her head disgustedly.

"The typical suburban community. Many bondings, many secrets, many lies.", Lucy explained.

"Okay, Emmy, please go on with searching. Oh, and can you search for men with prior convictions because of sexual harassment?"

"Of course I can.", Emmy piped. "But this is much too vague. I have plenty hits."

"Okay, only the hunters.", Jack demanded.

"Still too many hits. This town is surrounded by woods. What do you think how many hunters there are?", Emmy stated.

Jack frowned. "We have to make a complete profile before we can limit it further."

"Okay, have there been more missing girls in the past or something like this?", Finn chipped in.

"Wait a minute… no missing girls.", Emmy informed them. "Oh wait, but there is an eleven-year-old girl that died five weeks ago. But it was a natural death."

"Very good work, Autumn!", Jack praised. "If you're right, Spade, this could be our first victim. Or it was the trigger." Then he addressed Emmy: "Look if you can find more about this girl or his family."

"Aye, aye, Sir!", Emmy said before the screen went black.

Jack ordered: "As soon as we landed Spade and Dunham go to the place where the last victim was found. LaMontagne, Monroe, you question the parents of the last victim and case the house. You know, how the killer got in and so on. Wilder, you and I go to the police station and after that we question the parents of the potential first victim. Afterwards we all meet at the police station." Everybody nodded and they were quiet for a time.

"Every time I think I got used to all the cruelty the next case hits me again. Incredible a human being can do something like this.", Luke muttered affectedly.

"We do what we can and everything else is out of our hands. Terrible things happen and you have to accept that if you don't want to be ruined by your job.", Ella told him with her usual pretended coldness she used to show to protect herself from the sorrow around them, but also with a hint of compassion and understanding.

Luke didn't answer and just looked thoughtfully out of the window.

Finally the plane landed and everybody divided to obey Jack's orders.

Jack and Luke entered the town's police distinct. Luke shook the hand of the sheriff and introduced them: "I'm SSA Wilder, we talked at the phone. This is SSA Jack Hotchner."

"Sheriff Carrigan. Thank you for coming.", the Sheriff greeted them and shook their hands.

"That's our job. We are happy that we can help.", Jack answered.

"Come on, I'll show you the room where your team can work.", the Sheriff told them and Luke and Jack followed him. They passed a group of police officers who glared at them cloudily. "Some of the people aren't sure if it was a good idea to call the FBI.", the Sheriff explained vaguely, seemingly not very convinced of the idea by himself.

Jack said friendly but firmly: "We offer our help, that's all." His and Luke's glances met shortly. It would be difficult to make the people of the town help them.

Finn and Ella drove together with a young, blonde and a little bit chubby Deputy into the woods to examine the place where the last body was found. They left the car at a wayside before they followed the Deputy deeper into the forest.

They climbed up a small acclivity and the young deputy reached out his hand to help Ella but she pursed her lips and ignored the hand. "I'm a big girl, I don't need help. Thank you.", she said harshly.

Finn couldn't hide his laughter. "Chill, Dunham! He just wanted to be friendly!" Ella shot him a dark look. The Deputy looked bewildered from one to another.

Finally they arrived at a big oak tree that was surrounded by crime scene tape. Finn held the tape up for Ella to slip through. He grinned teasingly when she glared at him.

"Do you see the big limb up there?", the Deputy pointed into the gigantic tree. "That's where we found the corpse hanging."

"That's very high. The killer has to be very strong and a good climber to not only climb up there but also carry a body with him.", Finn explained thoughtfully.

Ella nodded affirmatively while she approached the big tree with the dense canopy of leaves. Suddenly she said soundlessly: "Oh my god. Finn, you have to see that!"

"See what?", Finn asked curiously.

Ella pointed at something in the wood of the tree trunk a little bit above her. Finn examined the little spot that was exactly in front of his eyes. The bark was removed there and…

"Oh my god. You are right, that's really oh my god!", Finn exclaimed ironically. "There is something written! Who cares?"

Ella looked at him annoyed. "Not just something! It's the name of the last victim. Claire Grayson."

"Oh my god.", Finn said, now serious.

"Just what I said.", Ella retorted.

"He really cares for them.", Finn remarked.

"Oh yes. It's almost like… a grave.", Ella said cloudily.

"Oh my god.", Finn exclaimed.

"Is that your new favorite sentence, or what?", Ella asked him sarcastically.

Finn retorted: "Are you in a bad mood today, Dunham?"

"I don't know what you're on about.", she grumbled. "Focus please!"

"Bad mood, indeed.", Finn said low but he knew better than to provoke her even more. Louder he continued: "The girls meant something to the UnSub, so he saw someone in them. Maybe a daughter?"

Ella regarded pensively at the tree in front of her. "Possible. You know, it seems strange to me he carved the victim's name into the wood and not the name of the person he sees in her."

"Yes, as if he wanted to give them back a little bit of dignity with preparing a kind of grave for them.", Finn picked up her thought.

Ella nodded. "And that indicates he felt remorse after having murdered them."

"What a crazy guy! Of all things he had to show that with hanging them up!", Finn exclaimed angrily and punched against the tree trunk.

Ella ignored his outburst. "We have to check the places where the other bodies were found."

Henry and Lucy had gotten a black SUV to drive with and now parked besides the big house of the victim's parents.

"Rich.", Lucy remarked at the sight of the modern and large property. "They are rich, that's for sure. What about the other victims?"

"As far as we know their parents had only average earnings.", Henry answered.

"Then that's no hint for the victimology.", Lucy said. "I hate it when children are the victims. From all people of this world they at least deserve such a fate."

"I know.", Henry answered but continued without hesitating to suppress his own discomfort. "But it's a signal for the killer becoming more brave. To break into a house that certainly has an alarm system is very risky."

"That's a difference to the other victims. The first girl was kidnapped on the way home from school on an empty road. The second disappeared while going for a walk with his dog.", Lucy explained.

"What happened with him?", Henry wanted to know.

"With whom?", Lucy asked confused.

"The dog!", Henry declared.

Lucy looked at him strangely. "No idea! And that's completely unimportant!"

Henry cringed. "Sorry. What do you wanted to say?"

Lucy glared at him one last time before continuing. "Seemingly the killer knew how to abduct them without anyone noticing it. That shows he observed his victims. Maybe for several days before abducting them."

While talking the two walked on a pavement that was fringed by colorful flowerbeds up to the house and rang. A red-haired woman in the mid-thirties with a tearstained face opened the door.

Lucy smiled at her compassionately. "Hello. My name is Lucy Monroe and that's Henry LaMontagne. We are from the FBI." Both Henry and Lucy held up their badges.

"Oh, FBI? Um, well… What do you want?", the woman responded, obviously not in the mood to talk.

"We want to find the murderer of your daughter, Mrs. Grayson. But for that we need your help.", Lucy explained carefully. "We want to ask you a few questions."

The woman surveyed them mistrustfully. "We already told everything the police."

"We know, we won't bother you for long. May we come in?", Lucy asked as friendly as she could.

"Okay.", the woman, Mrs. Grayson, answered reluctantly, but opened the door so Lucy and Henry could enter. She shouted into the house: "Michael! The FBI is here!", whereupon a bald middle-aged man came down the stairs.

Michael and Sarah Grayson led the agents into the living room and they sat down on the couch.

"We would like to ask you a few more questions.", Henry began but was interrupted by the upset woman.

"Why are you here? What do you think you can find out that can't be done by our police?"

Henry answered soothingly: "We are from the Behavioral Analysis Unit. We try to find the killer by putting ourselves in his shoes, by understanding him."

The woman got angry and screamed: "That's an ill pervert! If you understand someone like him you are not better than he is! Why don't you just leave and let our sheriff do his work! We don't need you!"

Lucy shot Henry a killing glance before trying to defuse the situation. "Please calm down, Ma'm! We just want to help."

The appalled husband said: "Sarah, if you can't keep your temper, leave the room!"

Mrs. Grayson jumped on her feet and ran out of the room, shooting one last killing look at the agents.

"Please forgive my wife.", Mr. Grayson said desperately. "It's really hard for us."

"Of course, no problem. We understand that.", Henry said sympathetically. "We are sincerely sorry for your loss, Mr. Grayson."

"Do you mind us asking a few more things?", Lucy asked gently. Mr. Grayson shook his head and signaled her to continue. "Do you have an alarm system?"

Mr. Grayson nodded. "Yes, but it failed in the night when… my girl disappeared. It was broken." Lucy and Henry looked at each other meaningfully. "Why of all things that night?", the poor father asked desperately. "Why?"

"I'm so sorry.", Henry said sadly.

"Could we see the backdoor through which the killer came in?", Lucy wanted to know.

"Of course.", Mr. Grayson answered and pointed out to the other side of the living room. "There, behind the curtains is the terrace door."

Lucy and Henry stood up to examine it. Lucy pulled away the curtains. Behind them one could still see the hole in the door that had been beat into the glass.

"The failure of the alarm system certainly was no coincidence.", Lucy stated.

"No, he planned everything and is absolutely organized.", Henry agreed. He opened the terrace door and stepped into the garden. Behind the small garden that was fringed by a low fence the deepest forest stretched for miles.

"Okay, I'm the killer." Henry pretended. "What do I do after having abducted the girl?"

"In case we do a role play you should better be the girl and let me be the killer. That fits better.", Lucy laughed.

Henry shot her a killing glance before continuing. "I feel safe in the woods. I have to escape as fast as possible. Why not into the woods since they are right behind my victim's house?"

"Maybe he has a small house somewhere in the woods where he keeps the girls imprisoned.", Lucy considered while gazing into the woods.

"He is organized. And daring. He knows what he does and behaves very self-confident. That fits perfectly to a hunter.", Henry summarized.

Lucy added bitterly: "With the peculiarity that he hunts humans. In short murder is his element."

**I hope I can continue to write soon but I don't have that much time right now so it can take a little bit longer.**

**Please tell me what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

Criminal Minds: Broken or Evil?

Chapter 3

Jack and Luke drove their borrowed SUV to the house of the dead girl that possibly had something to do with the murderer. Her name was Isobel Jackson. Her family's house lay together with two neighbor houses isolated from the rest of the town and only an uneven, lonely path through the woods led there. Jack drove while Luke had a map in his lap telling his boss with its help where to drive. They turned wrongly at least two times and had to turn around.

Jack cursed: "I thought you were good with maps!"

"I am!", Luke defended himself. "But only with real maps! That's… everything, but not a map! It doesn't even show up this river we've just passed!"

"River?", Jack laughed sarcastically. "That was more of a tiny stream!"

"Remember, Jack, we are in the middle of nowhere. I bet for the people around here it's literally to compare with the Mississippi!"

"I guess you're right." Jack sped up suddenly without bothering that the rain that fell with thick drops from the sky almost blocked his view. Luke shook his head but said nothing and focused back on the map in his hands.

Finally they arrived at their aim and parked on the muddy ground in front of the half-destroyed fence of the small property. The house was slightly neglected and looked not very inviting.

Jack got out of the car and immediately stepped into a big puddle. "Damn it!", he cursed. Luke tried not to laugh but failed miserably whereupon Jack shot him a 'if looks could kill you would by now be stone-dead' -glare.

"It's all about puddles today.", Jack mumbled sullenly to himself. "That sounds like fun!" He put his sun glasses on and said louder to Luke: "Let's go!" Luke didn't dare to say anything teasing.

They stalked, carefully not to make their city-shoes dirty in the rain-soaked ground, to the house and walked up to the door. Jack rang. After half a minute of waiting the door opened a crack and a middle-aged, thin, peroxide blonde women looked mistrustfully at them.

"What you want?", she asked unfriendly.

"We're from the FBI. I'm Agent Hotchner and this is Agent Wilder. Could we ask you a few questions?", Jack addressed the women.

"I don't have no time. I'm busy." The women disappeared and wanted to close the door. But Jack reached out his hand and held the door open.

"We are sorry if we bother you but it's urgent. We need your help. You surely already heard of the murdered girls?", Jack tried again.

"Sorry. Take your hand away, I don't have time for you.", the women insisted harshly.

"You should take yourself time.", Jack said with this serious, rigorous voice that only he was capable of and that nobody dared to disobey.

Mrs. Jackson looked at Jack indifferently. "I don't believe I can help. Whatever gave you that idea?"

Luke answered, trying to stay calm: "You had a daughter. Isobel was her name, right?"

Mrs. Jackson's gaze filled with pain and drifted off of Luke's face into distance, her eyes staring at something only she could see. "She's dead."

"We know, Mrs. Jackson. And we are truly sorry.", Luke confirmed.

Jack asked carefully: "How did she die?"

Mrs. Jackson's eyes focused back on Jack. They were now filled with anger. "What do you care?"

"We _do _care.", Jack tried to calm her down. "We understand that it is terrible when such a blow of fate strikes the family."

"Fate? _Fate?_", Mrs. Jackson cried angrily. "My girl _didn't_ just die. She was murdered! By this stupid girl that was supposed to look after her. To protect her. But she failed. My little sweetheart is dead because of her!", Mrs. Jackson screamed so loud and upset Jack was afraid the neighbors would hear her.

The poor women's rant made Luke sit up. "Who is this girl you are talking about? Your daughter's babysitter?"

Mrs. Jackson nodded angrily. "Kate Salazar.", she spitted the name full of hatred and distorted her face as if she was tasting something extremely disgusting.

"Was there someone else when your daughter died?", Luke asked carefully.

"No!", Mrs. Jackson screamed desperately. "Just this girl was there. Why, oh, why had she to be alone with her that night? How could I be so stupid to leave my sweet baby girl in her dirty hands?"

Mrs. Jackson looked at the two FBI Agents in front of her. Suddenly her gaze became clear. It seemed like she suddenly realized with whom she was talking and Luke watched her face change into a shocked 'I told them too much' expression. This terrible small-town-secretiveness!, Luke cursed silently.

Mrs. Jackson abruptly slammed the door in front of the agent's faces. This time Jack wasn't fast enough to stop her from doing so. Jack and Luke exchanged knowing glances.

Luke flipped open his mobile phone. "Emmy? Could you please check a Kate Salazar?"

Half an hour later Lucy and Henry entered the police station. Ella and Finn already sat at the table in their small conference room, staring at the pin board with all the terrible photos and a blackboard where they already wrote down their assumptions and knowledge concerning the UnSub.

"You are crazy, you know that?", Lucy and Henry heard Finn ranting, vivacious as always.

"Why?", Ella asked innocently.

"Something hast to be wrong with ya.", Finn shook his head, but laughed.

"Of course. Didn't you know that?", Lucy immediately had to interfere and glanced teasingly at Ella whitout even knowing why. "But why exactly?", she added.

"Yeah, what is the issue here?", Henry wanted to know, confused.

"Dunham brought her own coffee machine!", Finn exclaimed.

"You did _what_?", Lucy and Henry wondered, looking at Ella weirdly.

"Hey! The coffee in small towns is disgusting, I speak from experience! And it's only a tiny one.", Ella defended herself, gesturing with her hands.

Lucy laughed out loud. "Just for once I have to agree with Spade. Crazy!"

"Is it possible that you are addicted?", Henry said seriously worried. "Many people don't even know they're addicted to coffee because it's seems so normal to drink it regularly. But…"

"Hey, wise guy!", Ella cut in. "Before you profile me you should firstly look at yourself. I bet if I grab into your pocket I will find a bag of m&m's!"

Henry's head jerked up. "What… No! What are you talking about?" He tried to sound innocent.

Finn laughed at him failing miserably. "For a profiler you are a really bad liar!", he smirked.

Ella joined Finn. "Stop denying it, Henry. We all know about your strange obsession!"

Lucy dashed at Henry. "Sorry, pretty boy." Then she smirked and grabbed into his right pocket. Everybody watched her expectantly, only Henry looked like he felt rather unsettled. After a few seconds Lucy held triumphantly a little bag of the chocolate beans up.

"Yay, you were right, Dunham!", Lucy cheered.

Henry cringed and looked embarrassedly at the others. "How… how did you know that, Dunham?", he squealed.

Ella shrugged her shoulders, grinning. "I'm a profiler, remember?"

Finn rushed up to Lucy and ripped the m&m's out of her hands. "Let's eat them!", he shouted and yanked the bag open.

"No! That's mine!", Henry whined and desperately tried to snatch his sweets out of Finn's hands. But he had the chance of a snowball in hell and soon everybody pigged out on the m&m's. Nobody cared that about Henrys protest.

Contently the four of them ate until they were stopped by Jack marching in, followed by Luke, and shouting sternly: "Okay, guys, what do we have?"

Instantly the chaos dissolved and everybody sat down on their respective places. Henry quickly slid the rest of the m&m's into his pocket.

So the four went back to work and the team of profilers told each other what they found out. Everything worth mentioning found his way on the blackboard and they discussed further ideas and theories. An hour later the team had finished their profile of the killer.

The team and the police officers assembled and Jack began: "We now will present you our profile of the murderer we search for. Since the killer has to be someone from your town you surely know him. Please pay attention if something of our description reminds you of someone."

Then Ella continued: "The killer is a white male approximately between twenty and thirty years old."

"He knows about the woods and thus possibly is a hunter. Moreover he maybe owns a little cottage or so in the woods where he can hold his victims.", Lucy added.

"He behaves shy and unconfident, but polite and thus is very inconspicuous in public life and towards other people.", Finn stated.

A young police officer vented his discontent: "That doesn't help us! You know how many people I know fit this?"

Finn glared at him angrily but when Lucy calmingly placed her hand on his shoulder he gave his best to ignore him and continued: "Only when he kidnaps or murders he is self-confident and knows exactly what he does."

"Then he feels mighty since his victim depends completely on him and he can decide on life and death. He enjoys a might that lacks in his real life", Ella commented.

"But furthermore it has to do with sexual satisfaction. The man we search for is attracted towards little girls.", Luke added.

"The killer recently went through something, an incident that changed him or shocked him and made him start to murder. Most likely this trigger has something to do with a little girl.", Jack explained.

"The man is obsessively clean and before he grabs his victims he plans everything strictly. When he finally performs his plan he gets into a frenzy or an ecstasy that only stops after having murdered his victim. Then he changes back into his unsure self and he even feels remorse for what he just did.", Henry told.

"Until the urge to kill returns and he begins to plan again.", Lucy declared.

Jack urged the police: "Our time is running out! It won't be long until the killer takes the next girl."

Afterwards Luke held a press conference that was broadcasted in the TV where he presented the profile and called up the people to help. When the team was gathered in their bureau again Luke called Emmy.

She told them what she found out: "Okay guys, here come the life saving information you needed. Kate Salazar babysat Isobel Jackson when she died. At first it was difficult to learn the course of death but after digging deeply I now know she suffocated because she swallowed some toy. Kate Salazar is twenty-two years old. She hast two brothers, an older one, Tommy, twenty-five years, and a younger one, Ryan, nineteen years. The three of them live alone somewhere in the town since their mother died eleven years ago in a car accident and their father died six years ago in an accident at work. After their father's death the biggest brother, Tommy, got with only nineteen years sole custody for his underage siblings."

"Thank you, Autumn, well done.", Jack said pensively. "It's unlikely she has anything to do with the murders but we should speak with her anyways. Spade, Monroe, you go talk to Kate Salazar."

"Alrighty!", Spade shouted and the two left the police station.


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Criminal Minds or any other TV shows.**

Criminal Minds: Broken or Evil?

Chapter 4

Finn drove at breakneck speed but Lucy was already used to that. While she hold on for dear life she said: "The three siblings are really badly off. To lose both parents has to be terrible!"

Finn stared intensely at the street in front of him. "Maybe they were happy when their parents were gone. Sometimes children are better off without their parents.", he said bitterly.

Lucy frowned and looked at him pensively whereupon Finn turned his head in her direction. Immediately Lucy ranted: "Spade! Look ahead! You will kill us both!" Finn pursed his lips. Lucy mumbled something to herself.

They reached their aim in no time, a big but seedy house. Lucy knocked at the door. A young women in her early twenties opened.

"We are from the FBI.", Finn introduced them, holding up his badge. "Is that Kate Salazar?"

"Yes… yes. What can I do for you?", the young woman answered, a slightly anxious expression on her face.

"We search for the murderer of the three little girls. Maybe you can help us.", Lucy explained friendly.

"Me? How could I help you?", Kate asked shyly.

"You witnessed how your babysitter kid died, didn't you?", Lucy asked compassionately.

Kate Salazar bowed her head and stared at her feed. "That was way back." Then she raised her head again and added pleadingly: "Can't you allow this incident to rest? It was just an accident. A horrible one, but an accident."

"We don't doubt that, Ms. Salazar.", Lucy affirmed. "And we are sorry." The pretty but tired looking woman looked away.

Finn interrupted impatiently the short silence. "Where are your brothers, Ms. Salazar?"

Instantly the woman focused on him mistrustfully. "Away. With friends."

Finn could immediately tell that she lied. He could see her sweat nervously and shift from one foot to another. "Why do you lie to us?", he asked harshly.

The woman looked at him, shocked. "I… I don't lie! What's the point of that?"

Lucy tried to calm her down. "Please, Miss, we need your help, and for that you have to be honest! That was just a simple question!" Lucy had a strange feeling. Something was wrong. It wasn't unusual that people were nervous while talking to the FBI. But that was exaggerated.

The woman answered defensively: "I don't want to talk to you. I can't help you. It would be better for you to leave now." She avoided eye contact.

Finn became angry. He really disliked rejection. Resentfully he scolded: "Wrong answer. It would be better for _you _to talk to us. There is a killer out there, Ms. Salazar. A cruel killer who murders little innocent girls in cold blood! Do you want him to take another girl? Do you want another girl to suffer because you didn't help us? Do you really want that? If not, then talk to us!" Finn looked daggers at the poor woman.

"Finn!", Lucy whispered warningly and tried hard to hold her anger at him back. Ms. Salazar stared at them with fear.

Suddenly a man appeared behind Kate Salazar, a few years older than her, with dark oily hair. Finn guessed it had to be her older brother Tommy Salazar. Now it was getting interesting!

"What's happening here?", Tommy Salazar asked and pushed his sister protectively behind him. "What do you want from my sister?"

Kate Salazar whispered anxiously: "They are FBI."

Tommy reacted unexpectedly. Before Finn or Lucy fully realized what happened he had banged the door shut. Finn stared puzzled at the closed door in front of him. "Why the hell are they all down on the FBI?"

"Spade, you jerk!", Lucy immediately began to rant furiously. "What the heck was that all about? Have you lost your marbles?"

"Calm down, Monroe, I just tried to get her to talk!", Finn defended himself.

"Oh, and it worked really well!", she responded ironically. "Now we can forget about her opening up to us!"

"But your method worked better, or what?", Finn exclaimed angrily. "With your sweet ramblings she had just told us more tall tales!"

"Oh, of course, now it's my fault!", Lucy screamed. "Why can't you just for once keep your temper?"

"Don't make such a fuss, I just did my job! You always have to dramatize everything!", Finn yelled back.

"And you are incapable to admit your mistakes!", Lucy retorted, but added more conciliatorily: "It's not bad to be affected by a case. But you could say something!"

"Don't give me that shit again!", Finn was still furious. "You know what? If you can do our job so much better than I, then try your luck! I wait in the car and laugh at you when you don't make it!", Finn shouted really pissed off and stormed away.

"Yeah, go! Let me do the work! God, you are so childish!", Lucy yelled after him.

* * *

Finn raced towards their SUV and jumped into the driver seat. He boiled inside but tried to calm down. He cursed himself for having such a short temper and punched angrily against the steering wheel.

Finn stared out of the window, watching Lucy how she again knocked against the door. Suddenly he saw a young man, or maybe rather a boy, with dirty blonde hair leave the property of the Salazar-siblings. He came from behind the house, maybe through a backdoor and Finn immediately recognized him from a photo as the youngest Salazar-sibling, Ryan. The boy had his hands dug deep into the pockets of his dirty jeans and frantically looked around as if he feared to be pursued. Finn got out of the car. As soon as Ryan Salazar noticed him he began to run. Finn immediately took up pursuit.

He yelled: "Ryan Salazar, stop! FBI!" The boy looked fearfully at him over his shoulder. He ran fast but he had no chance against Finn. After a few meters Finn caught up to him and threw him to the ground with his body weight.

"Hey, what do you do there? Why do you run away?", Finn wanted to know impatiently.

"Please, I did nothing! Don't hurt me, please!", Ryan pleaded and looked at Finn with fear.

"I won't hurt you, but you have to tell me the truth! Why did you run away?", Finn answered and seized him vigorously by the collar.

The boy quailed while stuttering: "Because Tommy told me to do so! He said… he said I…"

Suddenly a strange sparkle appeared in Ryan's eyes. Finn blinked confused and shook him a little bit. "Hey boy, what's up?", he asked.

In the next moment Ryan punched him. Straight into the face. Before the bewildered Finn could react Ryan broke away and ran off as fast as he could. Finn yelped angrily: "Oh, you bastard! This cannot be happening!", before sprinting after him. They headed towards the woods.

"No, no! Oh, I hate the woods!", Finn cursed but he had no other option but to follow Ryan. Without hesitating the boy entered the deep somber forest that was only slightly lightened by the weak because of the leaves dark green sunlight. It was obvious that Ryan was familiar with this area. Swiftly Ryan made his way through undergrowth, branches and trees without slowing down. Finn gave his best to keep pace with him. Finally the constant endurance training paid! Where would Ryan lead him?

With dread Finn noticed that is was getting dark.

* * *

Lucy patiently knocked against the door. She would not give up. And if only to prove Finn she could do it. Sometime they would have to open. Through the door she could hear nervous voices talking but she couldn't understand the words. "Please, open the door! Kate, Tommy, open the door!"

Suddenly the door was ripped open. "Come in, come in!", Kate whispered anxiously.

Lucy frowned but stepped into the house. Inside it was messy and dirty, and all curtains were drawn. "Okay, what's going on here, Kate? Are you okay with answering a few questions?", Lucy wanted to know, mistrustfully glancing around.

Kate said nothing, just stared at her with fright. Suddenly something hard hit Lucy from behind at the back of the head. She groaned, then everything went black around her.

"Oh my god, Tommy! You hit her! Are you crazy? Oh my god, what do we do now?", a flustered female voice said.

"It's okay, Katie. Don't get upset. I _had_ to do that.", a male voice answered calmingly.

"But… you killed her! Oh my god, you killed her!", the woman shrieked.

"Katie! Calm down! She isn't dead, she is just unconscious.", the male voice retorted. "Don't worry I will fix everything! You trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I trust you, but Tommy, she is not the only FBI agent! The others will come and they will find him and they will take him away…", the woman cried desperately.

"Stop it, Kate! I will do everything that it takes to protect our family. You know that. You don't need to worry. Anything will be good, okay?", Tommy tried to sooth the woman. "We have bring her away now!"

"Okay, okay. You are right. Do you think he did it? I can't believe it but the whole town thinks so. I mean, since Isobel's death he changed… ", Kate said insecurely.

"He is innocent. I know it. And I wont allow them to take him away from us!", Tommy promised firmly.

The voices sounded so far away, like through cotton. Lucy recognized them as the ones of Tommy and Kate but it was difficult for her to listen. She tried to move but that just sent a wave of pain through her body. Her head hurt badly. Slowly she opened her eyes but everything seemed so blurred…

* * *

The rest of the team sat in their office, talking.

"It was a clear profile! Why does nobody know anything?", Henry complained whiningly. They were desperately waiting for hints from the people of the town.

"There are two possibilities.", Luke stated. "Either they really are clueless, but I doubt that, or, what I personally think, they _pretend _to be clueless."

"Luke's right, it's once again typical for those small towns. Only mind your own business. Always keep out of others' affairs. It could cause problems.", Ella explained contemptuously.

Suddenly Henry smiled. "I heard you once again fell into a puddle?", he teased Jack, referring to the incident at the house of the dead girl Luke told him about.

"Oh no, not this again, LaMontagne. We are working!", Jack answered annoyed.

"Hey, it doesn't hurt to have a little bit fun now and then!", Ella laughed. "So, what was that about you falling into puddles?", she wanted to know interestedly.

Luke just wanted to start telling them when Jack interrupted him firmly: "Nothing is there to be told! You better keep your mouth shut!" He shot Luke a warning glance.

"Hey, Jack! You can trust us!", Henry affirmed grinningly. "We know for sure how to deal with confidential information!"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's exactly what I fear!" Then he continued with an evil smile on his face: "But while we're on it, I know to tell a little story about Henry…"

But in the same moment the door opened and an officer led a woman in. She was a large person, approximately in her mid-fourties. Her red curls about touched her broad shoulders, her long loud yellow skirt jarred with her purple fur boots.

"Oh, sorry, Jack, duty calls! I guess your story has to wait…", Henry grinned maliciously.

"Just wait, buddy, my revenge will be cruel!", Jack threatened and on Jacks serious face it seemed damn intimidating!

The officer presented the imposing woman: "This is Mrs. Atkinson. She absolutely wants to speak to you!"

The woman smiled friendly and said: "My name is Jane Atkinson. I have very important information for you. I know who the murderer is!"

The team looked incredulously at each other.

**What do you think? Please review!**


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